Member Article

Leeds card payment provider grows headcount to 150 in two years

Payments provider Inspire Payments has grown its headcount from two to 150 employees within two years of founding, in response to explosive demand for its services.

Inspire Payments specialises in supporting small businesses with card payments.

As a result of the pandemic, as well as changes in consumer behaviour, more and more small businesses are implementing contactless technology solutions.

Having launched to the market in May 2019 when the business employed just two people, Inspire Payments now employs a team of 150 payments experts, each with the goal of making merchant services more affordable and less complicated for small businesses.

Headquartered in Leeds, Inspire Payments now also has an office in Grimsby after founder and MD Gareth Poppleton saved 17 payments professionals from redundancy. He offered the individuals roles when fellow payments provider RMS closed its Grimsby office.

Gareth Poppleton has more than 25 years’ experience in the payments industry and has successfully grown and sold two large payments businesses previously. Inspire Payments is now part of the Verastar Group.

He said: “Small businesses are incredibly important to us. Small business owners are people we know, our family members, normal people. They have also taken a personal risk to create jobs for others and to help fund the economy. It’s easy to be passionate about helping them because you are making a difference to real people.

“Our customers have had a difficult time with lockdown but they also need our services now more than ever, so when they want us to help simplify things for them or save them money we’re well placed to do so.

“Growing this business as part of Verastar Group is incredibly exciting because we’ve been given the backing we need to get up and running and now we’re seeing exceptional results which enables us to grow again.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tim Parker .